
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – PS4 Version, Reviewed on PS4 – Real-Time Strategy, Stealth, Tactical Action
Set in feudal Japan, this top-down stealth/strategy game puts the players at odds with a bloodthirsty warlord Kage-sama. A team of five diverse skilled outcasts team up to delve their way through the landscapes which are chock-full of enemy combatants.

Story:
Overall, the plot is relatively straight-forward, however it does have some nice twists and turns. Your characters meet up through their various character arcs, eventually teaming up to form an unstoppable force. Not to spoil any of the surprises, the plot advances with each successful mission.
The story is serviceable, however overall, the game is all about the gameplay and the mission maps which require significant strategy to make your way across them. If one does not care about the entire story, they can still have a lot of fun with the game, which is not always the case for gaming in general.
Gameplay:
For me, this was a new kind of strategy game, and I had not played any game quite like this. I have read that it is similar to a couple of older series’ “Commandos” and “Desperados” however I did not play either (until the recent Desperados III which was made after Shadow Tactics by the same development team).
Overall, it is all top-down presentations of map missions chock full of enemies and countless ways to proceed. The enemies patrol their paths, while their visibility range is displayed via “cones of vision” which the player can utilize to avoid being seen. The action unfolds in real-time, meaning it is not turn-based and is a fluid and moving map of adventure.
While you can use your slick samurai sword to fell the baddies, you must avoid being seen doing so, otherwise your character is swiftly slashed, shot or arrowed down. This creates the strategy element, as distraction and timing become your allies.
The maps have multiple points of interaction, all of which provide their own tweaks to the strategies of completing the missions. Additionally, weather and setting can play a factor, as snow can crunch below your feet and give away your position, just as footprints left in the mud will do the same. There are plenty of bushes and such to hide bodies of your felled enemies, or you can sometimes simply throw them off a cliff.
The multiple characters all have diverse powers, as well as their own strengths and weaknesses. Matching up your characters’ powers and alleviating one role’s weakness through combined actions is the best way to complete missions. Using all of your characters and learning their abilities is key, and also a lot of fun.
While the game remains real-time, you can strategize by inputting planned character actions for your team, all of which can be played out at once when you are ready to strike. Some of this is necessary to complete certain areas, as there are far too many bad guys to take on with just one character. By the end of the game, you will revel in setting a plan and watching it play out, removing a whole swath of enemy combatants simultaneously.
There is no direct path or order of operations, and freedom to proceed is only limited by your ability to properly use your characters, or imagination of tactics to try. Maps provide more and more challenge as they go on.
Graphics:
Graphics are not a main feature of this game; however, they are very nice and fitting for the gameplay. The presentation the feudal setting is with detail and reverence. The missions are cell-shaded, however never look too cartoony. Backgrounds and gaming effects are well-done, and get the player into the action.
Fun-level:
Depending on the player, this game will either be very rewarding, or just not their bag. I loved the strategy and puzzles set within all the missions. The bigger the challenge, the more rewarding it was to slash your way through the terrain. The story was interesting, as was the setting and the changing mission scopes. Most all missions require the same kind of action and stealth; however some gave additional choice through their unique interactable options. If you like strategy and are looking for something different, give this game a shot, or a slice.
I liked this game so much that when the same studio published the aforementioned Desperados III I quickly picked it up. It is a similar game set in the wild west, and there is another called Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, which is set in the world of swashbuckling pirates.
Downloadable Content (DLC) Review:
Shadow Tactics does have a 5-mission DLC expansion called “Aiko’s Choice” however I did not play it. I imagine it is just as fun as the original game and those excellent missions.
Final Score: 8.0
DLC Score: N/A